*Sigh* So I thought the muse was back... She wasn't. I started and stopped this chapter 3 or 4 different times. I just wasn't happy.

Finally, it came to me. Too bad it didn't come three weeks ago... but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

I really do appreciate everyone who is still reading even as I continue to update irregularly. Your reviews really make my day better. As my semester goes on, I'll need all the encouragement I can get... Midterms are next week so I may not get a chance to write again till next Thursday, but I'm seriously going try.

The only thing I can take credit for is my many mistakes. JE owns the rest.

Stephanie's POV

Stunned. That was the only thing running through my mind. I was stunned.

"Hey sugar. What's wrong?" Sally asked when I got back to my desk.

I stopped and blinked until I realized that Sally was talking to me. "Huh?"

"Girl, what happened? Did you get fired?"

"No."

Sally sighed when I didn't elaborate. "Then what?"

"I'm going on vacation."

"I didn't even know that you were putting time in! Good for you girl. You need it." He looked at me. "Why don't you look happy about it? Did you think you wouldn't get it?"

I just looked at Sally. The one look that said it all.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Are you getting fired?"

"No. I mean, I don't think so."

"Shit, what happened?"

I bit my lip. I couldn't tell him the whole story because that would put him in danger. It was bad enough that I was digging around and getting phone calls, but to endanger my friends? Unthinkable.

I just shook my head. "I'm not sure. Have I seemed… distant lately."

Sally looked nervous. "I mean, maybe a little. Not a lot though. It just seemed like you couldn't… care lately."

"Really?"

"Look girl, I love you, you know that. But I've been worried about you. You're doodling a lot of weird things. Are you feeling okay? Do you need to talk to someone about the murderous thoughts that you've been having?"

"What?"

Sally took out a yellow legal pad. "Look."

It was my handwriting, all right. And it looked like I was writing about my case. Shit.

"Has anyone else seen this?"

"No girl. I wouldn't do that to you."

I sighed in relief. "Joe was telling me about a case. I guess it's been on my mind a lot."

"Oh. That makes sense." He replied, nodding. He checked his watch. "Want to grab lunch?"

"Raincheck? I just want to go home."

"Sure. Call me and we can catch up."

I gave him a small smile and was off. What was I going to do over the next few weeks? I didn't have to go to work; I had a boyfriend bribing me for dates and a murder mystery with scary phone calls.

Tough decisions.

So I did the next best thing. I went home.

"Stephanie, this is a surprise."

"Hey ma. Where's dad?" My father worked for a cab company part time and played cards with his friends at the local club full time.

"He's out with the car."

I nodded. Grandma came waddling in. "Hey baby girl."

I kissed her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

She patted her leg. "Hip's all healed."

I smiled. "And the ID?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Your mother has no sense of fun. It's because she's going through the change."

"I am not going through the change!" My mother yelled from the kitchen.

"She's been more emotional lately," Grandma said quietly. I smiled at her.

"Are you going to give up the ID?"

"Your cop boyfriend already took it away from me."

"He's not…" I stopped. I wasn't sure what Joe was to me anymore. With all the deceptions and lies, it was unclear to me what was going to happen next with him. I loved Joe, I do, but I didn't think it was in the same way anymore.

My life was becoming a soap opera. I had bad guys coming after me, a weird relationship with Ranger, my boyfriend stole a job from me but still wants to date me and I might not have a job in two weeks.

All this made me long for a nap.

"Are you staying for lunch?" My mother asked. "We're having leftover meatloaf sandwiches."

"Sure."

I enjoyed the quiet lunch at home. We talked about everything and nothing. I said little about Joe and nothing about my job, while Mom filled me in on my sister Val. A few hours later, I was on my way home.

I don't remember how I got there and things got sketchy after that, but I'll never forget the flash and subsequent explosion.

And then life went dark.

Ranger's POV

"Fuck." I said scrambling from the bed. The dream was shaken off in the face of this new development. I grabbed my nearest clothing and got dressed. "Is she okay?"

"The police scanner is talking mostly of building damage and they're still waiting for the fire marshal." Hal said.

"They're not sure if the building is stable enough…"

"Hal…"

"There doesn't seem to be much damage to the building itself…"

"HAL."

"Boss?"

"Is she okay?" I ground out.

I didn't know why I was going. Call it a bad judgment call, or instinct or reacting to the situation or whatever… I just knew I had to be there. She wasn't my girlfriend and I wouldn't call us friends either, but the draw was there. The unexplainable pull I felt towards her.

Tank met me in the garage. "Where are you off to?"

"Out." I jogged towards the SUV. Tank stopped me.

"Hal called the control room. He wanted to know if they could go off shift since you were en route."

Big blabbermouth.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going out. Last time I checked, weren't my mother."

"Jesus, Ranger. What is going through your mind right now? She's not our problem."

"Isn't she?" I asked. I should've followed my instincts and put a man on the inside. I should've tapped her phones, put in security. I should've kept her close. "We put her back on the street."

"Because if she disappeared, it would've looked suspicious. Especially to her boyfriend. You know, Joe? Joe Morelli?"

I ground my teeth. "I need to…"

"To what, run in and save her? Newsflash, Ranger, you can't save everyone."

"I don't want to save everyone."

"Just her, right? When does it end?"

I was done with this conversation. I needed to make sure…

"If this is about getting your rocks off…"

Before I knew it, Tank was slammed against the side of the truck. Honestly, he looked as shocked as I felt.

"She is not just something I get off on. She is… more than that. She's the key to everything."

Tank raised his hands in surrender. I let him go. "Look man…"

"Just forget about it." I got in the car and drove.

I was pretty sure I had lost my fucking mind.

Twenty minutes later, I was pulling over across the street from her apartment building. The police had closed off the street pretty well, but my car karma was working in full force to get me close. Lights were flashing everywhere and people were crowding the tape, trying to get a look.

I immediately locked eyes with Carl Costanza and he waived me over.

He lifted the tape for me. "What's up Ranger?"

"Heard about the accident on the news. What's going on?"

He shrugged. "Molotov cocktail right through someone's window."

"Anyone hurt?"

"Not that we can see. Few burns and some smoke…"

Carl continued to talk, but I wasn't listening anymore. She was okay. That was all that mattered to me at this moment.

I scanned the parking lot where we had stopped walking and looked for her; looked for the curls in a sea of straight hair.

There.

Covered by a blanket, the curls were more wild than usual and her blue eye dominated her face. Joe was near her, and they were talking quietly amongst themselves.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead. Like a boyfriend should.

They disengaged so he could talk to some cops nearby and her eyes scanned. They scanned until they found mine.

"Thanks Carl," I said, interrupting whatever he was saying and moved towards Stephanie. She pulled the blanket closer and walked towards me.

"What are you doing here?" She asked me.

"My guys heard what happened. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

She looked shocked. "I'm okay."

"What happened?"

"I had a bad day at work so I went to my parents and we had this conversation…"

"Babe."

"Right." She smiled a little, blushing. "I actually don't remember much. I just remember the glass breaking and the smell of gas and then the fire. I grabbed Rex and got the heck out of there."

"Rex?"

"My hamster."

I smiled. "Babe."

"What?"

"Have you noticed anything weird lately? People following you…"

"Besides your guys?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"They were pretty obvious in their SUV."

"Anything else?"

She bit her lip, but didn't answer.

"What."

"Well, there was this call… or calls."

"About?"

She shrugged. "Oh you know, the usual. Stop what you're doing or will kill you. We'll hunt you down and torture you. That kind of stuff. No biggie."

"Babe."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Cupcake, who are you talking to?"

Cupcake? Cupcake? I raised both brows now.

"Shut up." She said to me. "Hey Joe. I'm sure you know Ranger."

"Sure." He said slowly. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking out the neighborhood. Thought about moving here."

Stephanie snorted.

"Right." Joe turned to Stephanie. "You done with him now?" His tone was full of distain. I was used to that reaction to people, but I could tell that Stephanie wasn't. I saw her spine stiffen a little.

"Are we going somewhere?"

"I was planning to take my girlfriend home."

"Maybe I don't want to go with you."

"Where will you go?" He scoffed. "Home?"

"Maybe."

"Jesus." He scoffed again. "I'm leaving in five minutes. Be in the car or don't be. I don't care." And he walked away.

"Sorry." Stephanie said to me. "That was embarrassing. I'm sure you have fights with your girlfriend all the time in private."

"No."

"No? Shocking."

"I don't date."

"Ever?"

"My life doesn't lend itself to relationships."

"Sounds… lonely."

She had no idea. "Glad you're okay, Babe." And I started to walk away. That revelation stunned me and I needed to leave. Get out of her presence before I start thinking wilder thoughts.

"Wait." She said, jogging to keep up. "I'm ready."

"For?"

"To come in. I think someone is trying to kill me and…"

"No shit? Someone's trying to kill you?"

"Don't be an ass. I think I can find them."

"What about your job?"

"I'm taking some time away." She looked away from me.

"And Joe?"

"Let me worry about him."

I looked at her. She looked determined. I guess getting her apartment blown up makes a person ready to fight. I wanted to wait a little while longer, but I didn't think there was time. I nodded.

"Seriously?"

I asked for her phone. When she gave it to me, I started entering numbers. "Give me a few days to get you set up in our system and one of these numbers will call you. They'll give you directions to the building and we'll get to work."

"Good. I'm ready."

"You better be, Babe. Because bad shit will start to go down the more you dig. Bad shit that may end up with you getting dead."

She swallowed hard, but nodded. "I understand. I need to finish this."

I nodded once. "We'll be in touch. Later Babe."

"Later Batman."